Paravani Caravanserai

Paravani Caravanserai stands in Paravani village, east of Lake Paravani, in Ninotsminda Municipality, Samtskhe-Javakheti. Built of stone and brick, it recalls the journeys once made across Javakheti: caravanserais provided stopping places for travellers and trading caravans.

The building's layout

The rectangular building is 26 metres long and divided into three longitudinal sections. A central aisle forms a corridor, with five rooms arranged on either side. Semicircular arches connect the rooms to the passage, and each room has a fireplace. This repeated arrangement makes the building's original purpose easier to imagine.

Date and alterations

The structure shows signs of rebuilding. Its earliest phase is tentatively assigned to the twelfth century, while the official cultural heritage inventory dates the caravanserai to the twelfth–thirteenth centuries. The reuse of stones bearing Georgian inscriptions in its walls has also been recorded. Two churches dating from the eleventh–thirteenth centuries stand nearby.

Visiting and nearby places

Combine the caravanserai with Paravani Church and Paravani Small Church. These neighbouring monuments reveal both the village's religious heritage and its role as a stopping place. A visit to the lakeshore fits naturally into the same journey. Examine the old walls and arches from ground level and avoid climbing on damaged masonry.